Hamas breached an agreement for a temporary ceasefire on Thursday. It was the second time this week that Israel observed a ceasefire, while Hamas ignored it.
Weapons discovered in terror tunnel Thursday morning. (Photo: IDF)
Hamas broke a “humanitarian” five-hour ceasefire Thursday, which was requested by the UN. The reason for the temporary lull was to give Gaza residents a chance to stock up on necessary goods on the 10th day of Operation Protective Edge as well as for Israelis, especially those in the south, to take a break from the bomb shelters.
The ceasefire initially took effect at 10 am. It was immediately preceded by intense shelling from Gaza on the Tel Aviv area, the Sharon district and communities in southern Israel, as well as an attempted infiltration by Hamas terrorists into a kibbutz near the border through an underground terror tunnel.
On Tuesday, Israel observed for several hours a ceasefire initiated by Egypt, but terrorists in Gaza continued shelling throughout the day, forcing an Israeli response.
Tel Aviv Slammed by Rockets
At noon Thursday, rockets from Gaza rained onto the Eshkol district – the western Negev in southern Israel – in breach of the ceasefire that had been agreed upon by both parties.
Throughout the rest of the day, south and central area – including greater Tel Aviv – were slammed by rockets.
Israel is still weighing the possibility of a ground invasion of Gaza; 8,000 reservists have been called to duty.
Written by: United with Israel Staff